stour

1 of 2

adjective

ˈstu̇r How to pronounce stour (audio)
1
chiefly Scotland : strong, hardy
2
chiefly Scotland : stern, harsh

stour

2 of 2

noun

1
a
archaic : battle, conflict
b
dialectal British : tumult, uproar
2
chiefly Scotland : dust, powder

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English stor, from Old English stōr; akin to Old High German stuori large, Russian staryĭ old, Old English standan to stand

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French estur, estour, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German sturm storm, battle — more at storm

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of stour was before the 12th century

Rhymes for stour

See All Rhymes for stour

Browse Nearby Words

stoup
stour
Stour
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stour. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Geographical Definition

Stour

geographical name

ˈstu̇r How to pronounce Stour (audio) ˈstau̇r How to pronounce Stour (audio)
ˈstau̇-ər,
ˈstȯr;
 specific variants can be found at senses below 
1
ˈstu̇r How to pronounce Stour (audio) river 47 miles (76 kilometers) long in southeastern England flowing east between Essex and Suffolk into the North Sea
2
ˈstau̇r How to pronounce Stour (audio)
ˈstu̇r
 river 55 miles (88 kilometers) long in Dorset and Hampshire, southern England, flowing southeast into the Avon River
3
or Great Stour
ˈstu̇r,
also
ˈstau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce Stour (audio)
river 40 miles (64 kilometers) long in Kent, southeastern England, flowing northeast into the North Sea
4
ˈstau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce Stour (audio)
ˈstȯr
 river 20 miles (32 kilometers) long in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, central England, flowing northwest into the Avon River
5
ˈstau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce Stour (audio)
ˈstȯr
 river 20 miles (32 kilometers) long in west central England flowing south into the Severn River
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ten Painless Ways to Improve Your Vocabulary

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

12 Words Whose History Will Surprise You
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Ten Painless Ways to Improve Your Vocabulary

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a plate of arepas
Name That Dish! Some mouth-watering food for thought
See All